# US 11,076,971 B2 · Actuator and artificial leg > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,076,971 B2 - Document ID: US11076971B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/098,867 - Filed: 2017-03-02 - Published: 2019-05-16 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-07 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Ken Endo; Hirozumi Takeshima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11076971B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/70: electrical - A61F 2/64: Knee joints - B25J 9/10: characterised by positioning means for manipulator elements - B25J 19/00: Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators (safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F) - H02K 7/14: Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) - A61F 2/741: {using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors or solenoids} - A61F 2002/5079: {Leaf springs (A61F2002/6657 takes precedence)} - A61F 2002/6678: {L-shaped} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract To propose a novel and improved actuator and artificial leg capable of miniaturizing an apparatus. An actuator (320) includes: a leaf spring (322) whose one end (322a) is cantilevered, the leaf spring being capable of deflection deformation in a plate thickness direction in accordance with torque by transmitting the torque; and a support member (324) configured to support a part of the leaf spring on a deflection direction side in a case where the torque transmitted by the leaf spring is greater than a predetermined value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An actuator comprising: a leaf spring having a first end that is cantilevered at a first point of the leaf spring, the leaf spring extending along a first direction to a second end that is free, the leaf spring being capable of deflection deformation along a second direction, different from the first direction, in accordance with torque applied to a first surface of the leaf spring at the second end, the leaf spring transmitting the torque; and a support member configured to support a part of the leaf spring on a second surface of the leaf spring, opposite the first surface, and on condition that the torque transmitted by the leaf spring is greater than a predetermined value, the support member contacts the second surface of the leaf spring such that the first end of the leaf spring is cantilevered at a second point of the leaf spring closer to the second end than the first point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The actuator according to claim 1, further comprising: a pivotal object configured to be relatively pivotable with respect to the first end of the leaf spring, wherein the leaf spring transmits torque output from a drive motor to the pivotal object, the first end of the leaf spring is pivotable in synchronization with an output shaft of the drive motor, and the second end of the leaf spring is pivotable in unison with the pivotal object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The actuator according to claim 2, wherein the support member is pivotable in unison with the first end of the leaf spring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The actuator according to claim 2, wherein the pivotal object is pivotable on a pivotal axis of the first end of the leaf spring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The actuator according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of leaf springs are provided along a pivotal direction of the first end with an interval in between. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The actuator according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of leaf springs are equidistantly provided along the pivotal direction of the first end. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The actuator according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of support members are provided along the pivotal direction of the first end of the leaf spring with an interval in between, and positioned between two adjacent leaf springs in the pivotal direction of the first end. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The actuator according to claim 2, wherein the pivotal object includes a resin. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes a resin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The actuator according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional curve in a cross section of a surface of the support member facing the second surface of the leaf spring orthogonal to a width direction of the leaf spring has a curvature radius set at a lower limit of a curvature radius of the leaf spring.